Meeting with the Ambassador of India

 

The meeting with the Ambassador of India Mr. Raj Kumar Srivastava was held on September 29, 2023 in the premises of the Indian Embassy on the subject of cooperation in space projects. The meeting was attended by the president of the Adriatic Aerospace Association, Mr. Slobodan Danko Bosanac. After congratulating on the great success of the Indian space program, which resulted in an extraordinary complex maneuver of landing the lunar vehicle near the south pole of the Moon, Mr. Bosanac described the Association’s activity with an emphasis on possible elements of cooperation. Mr. Srivastava, for his part, gave his support to these activities and emphasized his readiness to facilitate close cooperation on the development of these activities for mutual benefit. Special support was given to the activities of the Association on the development of regional cooperation, and as an example of such cooperation, Mr. Srivastava described the SAARC project led by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Help was offered to achieve this cooperation. In a very pleasant conversation, the meeting lasted an hour and a half.

Visit from PR China

Prof. Yi Li, from the Northwestern Polytechnical University (NWPU), the executive deputy of Suzhou Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics (SUSAA),  PR China visited A3 from 4 to 9 September 2023 as part of the cooperation between NPU/SUSAA and A3. Prof. Li is an expert of space science and Suzhou (Suzhou – Wikipedia) is investing heavily in the aerospace industry, so as part of the visit, in addition to the presentation of A3 activities, a visit to Croatian companies and scientific institutions, it was agreed on cooperation in joint projects that would be an upgrade to existing activities that include the exchange of experts. The immediate upcoming activity is the joint organisation of the Brijuna Conference 2025 in China, Suzhou, one of the most important cultural, science and technology centre of China. It is intended that the conferences will be held alternately between Brijuni and Suzhou. The theme of the conference is closely related to the challenges of travelling to distant space.

 

 

 

The first visit was to the Ruđer Bošković Institute.

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. Mile Ivanda, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Physics and Synthesis of New Materials, presented his scientific work at the Institute. Prof. Ivanda showed the laboratories and instruments with which he researches new materials for energy storage, develops ultra-sensitive sensors, uses Raman spectroscopy to analyze the composition of materials down to extremely low impurity densities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the company FACC Solutions Croatia d.o.o., part of the AVIC Group, Mr. Edvin Brčić (COO) and Mr. Matija Ferić (CFO) gave a description of the activities that include the production of components for the interior of aircraft, servicing all the most important airlines. Plans include expansion of production, product range, as well as connection with other sectors of the AVIC group.

 

 

 

 

The company HSTec, part of the Chiron Group, is high technology firm and its production line was presented by Mr. Mladen Šarlija, Managing director CEO, and Mr. Tomislav Marfat, Technical Director COO. The fundamental backbone of the company’s work is the product development from design to delivery to the customer. The company specialises in the production of spindles for extreme conditions and top requirements, as well as the production of top performance robotic systems.

 

 

A meeting with Mr. Marijan Topčić, technical director, and Mr. Danko Kočiš, ICT director and general secretary of A3, at the Multinorm d.o.o., was held via the Internet connection. The firm is a top technological company for the production of tools, but also participates in the production of satellite components in the A3 project. The company Multinorm is a member of the Strama consortium, which has branches in the People’s Republic of China, and there is the possibility of involvement in cooperation projects. Hydrogen is considered one of the most important elements for space activities and its extraction is of great importance on site. At the meeting with Mr. Ivica Jakić, president of H2-Hydrogen Cell Croatia, various extraction methods of this important element were discussed. The possibility of obtaining a scholarship for the study of astronautics at NWPU was discussed at a meeting with Mr. Bogomir Hren, the president of the Croatian Astronautical and Rocket Association, open to young people who are willing to opt for that calling. A special topic that would be important for the Republic of Croatia is to attract the Chinese aviation company to open a plant for the production of parts for their aircraft. At the meeting with Mr. Igor Kekez, a good expert on the state of the aviation sector in the Republic of Croatia, various possibilities for realising this project were discussed. Prof.  Jakov Baleta, from the Faculty of Metallurgy in Sisak, University of Zagreb, also attended the meeting, who shared his experiences in scientific cooperation with partners in the People’s Republic of China.

 

Learning about cross-curricular topics in schools

Students of the 4th grade of Ambroz Haračić Secondary School in Mali Lošinj for the profession of marine engineering technician, with prof. D. Preksavec (far left).

One of the active sections of space technology within the Mali Lošinj Education Centre is led by prof. Damir Preksavec. The activity is manifested in the creation of models of spacecrafts and aircraft, but also in the writing of essays on space technologies that are presented in the schools of Mali Lošinj. The activity is not only educational in nature, but plays a major role in the rehabilitation of children with problematic behaviour. The last essay had the role of emphasising the example of cross-curricular topics (MPT), known as extremely important interdisciplinary in science and technology. Education in schools on MPT has the same role as the learning of mathematics and physics. On the example of the complexity of the famous spacecraft, the students of the Ambroz Haračić High School in Mali Lošinj were introduced to the MPT concept. The observation of prof. Preksavca hopes that teaching students about space technologies will strengthen their resistance to stress, which is not lacking in everyday life.

Signed Cooperation Agreement between A3 and FabLab

A cooperation agreement was signed between the FabLab (fabrication laboratory) association, which deals with the promotion of digital fabrication, and the Adriatic Aerospace Association. On the FabLab side, the contract was signed by their president, Roberto Vdović, and on the A3 side, Slobodan Danko Bosanac. The FabLab Association is an international consortium of a large number of small workshops that offer (personal) digital fabrication of devices for educational purposes. By signing the Agreement with the Croatian FabLab, A3 will be involved in the education of space technologies for young people, but both parties will also benefit greatly from complementary activities as well as international contacts.

 

Signed partnership with Asteroid Foundation

A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed with the Asteroid Foundation Asteroid Foundation for the purpose of joint promotion and education in space activities through the organization of joint lectures and conferences and the encouragement of projects that would serve the development of space technologies, primarily among young people. There is a special emphasis on informing the general public about the immediate dangers that come from space, in the form of meteoroids and asteroids. While meteoroids leave a mark in the atmosphere as meteors and their remains, meteorites provide information about the composition of the solar system, smaller asteroids can cause a spectacular scene by exploding in the atmosphere, causing minor or major damage, large asteroids can cause a global catastrophe until the extermination of a large part of life forms. One of the goals of the cooperation between the two organizations is to introduce the general public to these celestial bodies and those created by human activities (satellites), and how the Earth’s biosphere can be defended against these accidents.

CASSINI Hackhaton at ZICER

Join the CASSINI Hackathon in Zagreb!

Can you create solutions using space technology to help strengthen Europe’s security? The 5th CASSINI Hackathon is open for entries.

Be inspired by experts, learn to access data from Copernicus, EGNOS and Galileo, and connect with a team to build your solution. There are three challenges on the theme of defence and security:

  • Enabling cross-terrain mobility
  • Making the seas more secure
  • Protecting our critical infrastructure

Already working closely with the Croatian defence sector, local organiser ZICER will welcome leading experts – like SES Techcom – to this edition of the Hackathon. From physical security to cybersecurity, our local challenges are diverse. Are you ready to tackle them?

Join us in Zagreb between Friday 24th and Sunday 26th of March. All you need is an interest in space technology – and the motivation to develop a winning idea. There are local and international prizes for the best team giving the winners the support they need to launch their ventures!

Europe-wide CASSINI Hackathons are a major opportunity to develop ideas for digital application of space data. They are particularly addressed to students, graduates, researchers and teams/startups in their very early stages. Each hackathon takes place simultaneously in ten European cities and the local organizers offer everything needed to form a great team, learn about accessing space data, identify customer needs, and start working on digital solutions.

CASSINI Hackathons & Mentoring are part of the European Commission’s CASSINI initiative to support space entrepreneurship. The initiative tackles global challenges through space technologies.

ZICER – Zagreb Innovation Centre is organizing the Croatian edition of the CASSINI Hackathon. The 5th CASSINI Hackathon: Space for Defense & Security will take place from 24 to 26 March, 2023. ZICER is the nation’s leading startup incubator and accelerator and the largest startup hub in Croatia.

 

Prior to the hackathon, Big Ideas Campaign will be held from March 6 to 10, 2023 (also at ZICER). This preparatory week will feature several warm up events (keynote speeches, fireside chats etc.) that will provide inspiration and additional information to participants who have registered for the hackathon and interested parties.

Prizes:

  • 1st Prize – EUR 5,000
  • 2nd Prize – EUR 1,000
  • 3rd Prize – Goodie packages
  • Special prize powered by SES Techcom: A 6-month paid internship at SES Techcom in Luxembourg

Meet ZICER, Croatian local organiser of the 5th CASSINI hackathon

ZICER – Zagreb Innovation Centre is the nation’s leading accelerator and incubator and the largest start-up hub in Croatia. This organisation was founded by the City of Zagreb and aims to identify, grow, connect and finance tech startups and entrepreneurs. Inside the flagship centre 90 start-ups are currently incubated, receiving support to develop, launch and market their innovative solutions. ZICER has, over the past 28 years, assembled expert programs to mentor innovative ventures. Its collaborations with companies, authorities and investors make it the perfect place to turn ideas into entrepreneurship!

Register now!

Don’t miss your opportunity to learn about satellite technology – and build your own solutions – from the entrepreneurial heart of Croatia’s thriving space sector.

Register now via https://www.cassini.eu/hackathons/Croatia!

The final conference on the Digital Education project was held

On Saturday, February 11, 2023, starting at 11:00 a.m. in the PISMO incubator building (Trg Luka Ilića Oriovčanina 8, Novska), the final conference on the Digital Education project (UP.04.2.1.11.0372) was held.

 

At the conference, the project team presented the project goals, target groups, project elements, project activities and achieved project results. With the Digital Education project, members of the associations A3, Igra znjana and HZTK were trained to carry out the activities of creating and using educational materials to respond to crisis situations. Mechanisms of intergenerational solidarity and learning of the elderly with the help of the younger ones in the field of ICT have been developed.

Digital educational materials will remain permanently available on the created web portal https://digitalna-edukacija.org/. The project also organized the development of strategies and innovative tools for managing crisis situations for Sisak-Moslavina County in the field of digital satellite data.
The total value of the project is €59,550.17 (448,680.78 HRK), and the funds are provided from the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia (15%) and from the European Social Fund (85%).

The project was co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund.
The project is co-financed by the Office for NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia.
The content of the publication is the sole responsibility of the Adriatic Aerospace Association.
For more information on EU funds: www.esf.hr and www.struktrunifondovi.hr.